Apparatus for



G. BOESCH.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING TIRES T0 VEHICLE WHEELS.

vAPPLICAUON man APR.21.1917. 1 3 2,6@ Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. BOESCH.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING TIRES TO VEHICLE WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2I. 1911.

1 9 3 l 2, 698 Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GUSTI-1V BOESCI-I, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYINGTIRES T0 VEHICLE-WHEELS.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Aug.f12, 1919.

l Application filed April 21, 1917. Serial No 163,572.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAv Bonsoir, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, and a resident of Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Applying Tires to Veliicle-Vilieels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for applying rubber tires and the like to vehicle wheels.

Certain of the objects thereof are to provide several features in apparatus of the above type of simple and practical construction and efficient action. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above type well suited for rapid and convenient use. Another object is to provide apparatus of the above type in which the parts are durable and compact and yet the entire device is of inexpensive construction. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the structure hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the apparatus mounted upon a bench. Y

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line B-B of Fig. 1, the View being taken in an upward direction and certain parts being removed to show the construction more clearly.v

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1, the parts being shown at another stage of their action.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, `there is shown a supporting frame comprising the arms 1 and 2 detachably interlocking with the pairs of posts 3-3 and the latter being best shown in Figs. 4L and 5 of the drawings.` These posts are preferably formed integral with abase member 5 which is secured as by the screws 6 to a work bench 7.

lThe arms l and 2 join at 8 and 9 respectively an upright guide 10, these several parts 1, 2 and 10 preferably being integral.

Slidably fitted upon the guide 10 which is preferably rectangular in cross section, is a sleeve 11, land the latter is provided with a projection 12, recessed at 13 and having fitted therein the plunger 14:, normally urged outwardly by the spring 15 into engagement with the surface of the guide. By this arrangement, the sleeve 11 may be moved along the guide 10 to any desired point and yet will be held in the position into which it is moved by the gripping action of the plunger 14. Rigidly mounted upon the sleeve 11 and extending outwardly therefrom, is a supporting pin 16 adapted to enter and support the hub of a wheel indicated in dotted lines at 17 in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By this means a wheel, and it is to be understood that this apparatus is -more especially adapted for small wheels such as those of childrens carriages, may be quickly mounted in such manner as to permit its rotation, and may also be readily moved lengthwise of the guide 10 into the exact position for the operations hereinafter described.

Formed upon the uipper end of the guide or central frame member 10 is a post 18 which has removably secured, as by the screws 19, to its upper surface an abutment device comprising the web 20 and the arms 21 and 22. Each of these arms terminates in an abutment, the lower surface of which is curved as at 23 .to rest within the concave rim of a vehicle wheel, and the outer edge of which is provided with an open recess 24. y Journaled at the end of the arm 1 is a spindle 25 and similarly journaled at the end of arm 2 is a spindle 26, these spindles being provided with the crank portions 27 to Vpermit them to be rotated within their bearings 28. Secured to each spindle is a crown tooth ratchet 29 which co-acts with a pawl 30 pivotally mounted upon the arm in proper position for such action.

The post 18 is provided with ahorizontal recess 31 within which there is slida'bly fitted a lug 32 having formed thereon the side wings 33. Pivot-ally mounted between these wings 33 as by means of the pin 84, are a pair of swingingpjaws 35, for a purpose hereinafter described. It may be notedthat this feature is not shown inf-ull lines in Fig. l of the drawings in order to avoid encumbering the disclosure, and it is to be noted that this device is removable if necessary to prevent interference with wheelsvof certain shapes while the tire wires are being connected thereon.

Considering now the method of use and action of the above ap'paratus, and referring first to F ig. l of the drawings, the wheel 36 is lirst mounted upon the pin 16 with its' hub as indicated at 17,- and'unlessthe apparatus has been previously adjusted, the sleeve 11 is moved upwardly to bring the concave upper surface of the rim 37 against the lower curved surfaces of the abutments 21 and 22. The action of the plunger 14: firmly holds the wheel in this position while the tire 38 is wrapped about the rim 37 with the ends of its rubber portion resting against the outer surfaces of the abutments, the free ends 39 and l() of this wire being passed through thegrooves 24 and secured 'within the slots il of the spindles 25 and 26 'respectively. Cranks 27 are then rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows 42 and the t'ree ends of the wire arecoiled upon spindles 25 and 26; but it is to be noted that this -coiling action which is lengthwise of the spindledoes not tend to cause the wires to ride out 4of the slots 2lor to pull the ends of the tire out. oftheir proper alined position in the rim 37. Thenthe wires have been sutliciently tightened, they are merely twisted together at their intersection, as indicated at 43 `in F 3 of the drawings, thus making a secure joint. rIhe tire is now in condition to c-lose the gap in the rubber at theffpoint where the joint in thewir'e is positioned `and it listo be understoodthat the rubber is of `su'licient length in VVits free normal condition to extend entirely -about the circumference of thewwheel. i'lfhe `ends of the rubber tire -have been held bythe a-butments 2land 22 as the ends of the wire are drawn out and connected las above described. 'Io Vclose lthe joint, the `'sleeve `ll `is merely-moved downwardly a suitable distance on the guide 10 yto bring the rubber 4betweenthetip's of the jaws 35, Th'esefjaws are thereupon gripped about/the rubber, being pressed toward one'another by han'd, and the `wheel ris atthe same time turned by hand on. the spindle 16 as indicatedl by the arrows 44 to bring the tire. end 4:5 over the joint. `In a similar inanner, the Vend 46 is worked over-.the joint by seizing the rubber vat -a vpoint remote from the Ajoint with 'the-jaws 35 and turniaigthewheel vto slide the rubber into `its proper position. It will be =understood that it is necessary forcibly `to work the-ends of. 'the rubber tire as above described over the joint in a wire onsaccount of the enlarged cross section of this joint and the pressure of the wire against the tire. Vihen, however, the ends of the tire are forced together, they will retain such position as the lrubber is ,held not only fricltionally but by reason of its being in its normali-state and free from compression or tension. The installation of the tire on the wheel .is lthen complete and this cycle of operations may be repeated with other wheels.

It will thus be seen that there is provided apparatus in which `the several objects of this invention are achieved. The ready adjustability of the parts conduces to their rapid and convenient manipulation and their separable interlocking construction permits ythem to be readily assembled or taken apart. It will also be seen that the action of the apparatus is accurate and reliable and well suited for the hardest conditions of practical use.

As various Apossible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as vari` ous changes might be made in the embodiment above described, it is to be understood that all matter herein set 'forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted. as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim as `my invention:

1. vIn a tire applying apparatus, wheel supporting means, a vertical guide carrying said means and having a pair of upwardly extending arms, a horizontal post extending outwardlyfrom thegu-ide and disposed bctween said arms, an abutment device carriedlby said post and including a pair of spaced arms having horizontal wire receiving recesses in their outer ends and dependingportions adaptedfto conformably iit in the tirereceiving groove of the wheel Yand a. pair-of vertically arranged turnable spindles carried by the respective arms of the lguiderand formed 4to* engage the Wireand to draw same taut and in opposite .directions upon turning ofthe spindles, said spindles being disposed to the rear of the Wire receiving recesses ,and -havingvertical downwardly extending slots to receive the wires.

2. In a tire applying apparatus, Vwheel supporting means, a pairof spaced tire abutment means formed to guidingly engage the wheel periphery and having horizontal outwardly facing Wire-receiving grooves open at their outer: ends, and. apair of vertical .arranged Wire tightening means arranged respectively on opposite sides of and to the rear of the Wire-receiving grooves whereby during tightening ot the wires the latter will bedravv-n toward and Vagainst the rear walls of thel grooves to prevent disengagement ci the wires from said grooves.V

3. In a tire-applying apparatus, wheel supporting means, a pair ofspaced tire abutment means formed to guidingly engage the wheel periphery and having horizontal outwardly facing wire-receiving grooves open at their outer ends, and a pair of vertically arranged wire tightening means arranged respectively on opposite sides of and to the rear of the wire-receiving grooves whereby during tightening of the wires the latter will be drawn toward and against the rear walls of the grooves to prevent disengagement of the wires from said grooves, said wire tightening means having downwardly facing wire receiving slots whereby to allow the wires to be placed in the grooves and slots in a single operation and movement.

4. In a tire applying apparatus, a wheel support, tire holding means lassociated with the support, wire tightening means coperatively related to said tire holding means, tire gripping means carried by the support and located in depending relation to the holding and tightening means so as to be overlapped by the wheel during the wire tightening operation, and means to allow of adjustment of the wheel supporty so as to enable the wheel to be successively moved from the holding and tightening means to the gripping means.

5. In a tire applying apparatus, a base having a spaced pair of spaced upwardly extending posts, a guide receivable in the space between the pair of posts and having a depending relation to the base, said guide having a pair of upwardly extending arms receivable in the spaces between the posts of the respective pair of posts, a horizontal recessed post extending outwardly from the guide, a slide fitted in the recess of said horizontal post, an abutment device for the tire ends carried by the slide, and wire tightening means borne by the arms.

6. In a tire applying apparatus, a base formed to seat on the top of a work bench or the like and having a guide extending downwardly over the front of the bench, means borne by the guide to support a wheel, abutment means borne by the guide to engage the ends of the tire, said abutment means having wire engaging parts, means borne by the base to tighten the ends of the wire, means borne by the guide and located below the abutment and wire tightening means to grip the tire ends, and means to allow of adjustment of said wheel supporting means on the guide whereby to allow the wheel to be successively moved from a position enabling operation of the tightening means to a position enabling operation of the tire end gripping means.

7. In a tire applying apparatus, a base having a spaced pair of spaced upwardly extending posts, a guide receivable in the space between the pair of posts and having a depending relation to the base, said guide having a pair of upwardly extending arms receivable in the spaces between the posts of the respective pair of posts, said base being formed for securement to a work bench or the like and said posts supporting the guide removably and in front of the bench, wire tightening means borne by the arms, and a wheel support borne by the guide.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 11th day of April 1917.

GUSTAV BOESCH.

Copies o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

